Refrigerant distribution device and cooling apparatus

Abstract

In order to supply a refrigerant to multiple-stage heat receivers equally while saving space, a refrigerant distribution device to distribute a refrigerant supplied from the upper stream according to the present invention includes a main body including a side wall part, an upper face part and a bottom face part, an upstream pipe provided on the upper face part in a manner communicating with an inside of the main body, a downstream pipe provided in a state partially inserted inside the main body via an under face hole part provided in the bottom face part, a tributary pipe provided in the side wall part or the bottom face part in a manner communicating with the inside of the main body, and a refrigerant direction changing means provided between the upstream pipe and the downstream pipe.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A refrigerant distribution device to distribute a refrigerant supplied from an upper stream comprising:
 a main body including a side wall part, an upper face part and a bottom face part; 
 an upstream pipe provided on the upper face part in a manner communicating with an inside of the main body; 
 a downstream pipe provided in a state partially inserted inside the main body via an under face hole part provided in the bottom face part, wherein, an upper end of the downstream pipe facing the upstream pipe is closed with a refrigerant direction changer and a refrigerant inflow port is provided on a side face of the downstream pipe below the upper end; and 
 a tributary pipe provided on the side wall part or the bottom face part in a manner communicating with the inside of the main body. 
 
     
     
       2. The refrigerant distribution device according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant direction changer is provided in a manner making a refrigerant descending from the upstream pipe into the inside of the main body flow into an area different from an area of the downstream pipe. 
     
     
       3. The refrigerant distribution device according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant direction changer is a direction changing board to change direction of a flow of the refrigerant descending into the inside of the main body. 
     
     
       4. The refrigerant distribution device according to  claim 3 , wherein a shape of the direction changing board is a shape identical with a cross-sectional shape of the downstream pipe substantially or a shape larger than the cross-sectional shape of the downstream pipe and smaller than an inner cross-sectional shape of the main body. 
     
     
       5. The refrigerant distribution device according to  claim 3 , wherein at least one opening is provided in part of the direction changing board. 
     
     
       6. The refrigerant distribution device according to  claim 5 , wherein a shape of the direction changing board is a shape substantially identical with the inner cross-sectional shape of the main body, and the at least one opening is provided in a peripheral part of the direction changing board. 
     
     
       7. A cooling apparatus, comprising:
 a plurality of heat receivers provided in a side face of a storing body storing electronic equipment; 
 a radiator provided outside the storing body; 
 a first pipe to make the plurality of heat receivers and the radiator be in communication with each other; 
 a second pipe to make the radiator and the plurality of heat receivers communicate with each other; and 
 a refrigerant distribution device to distribute a refrigerant supplied from an upper stream provided in each branching part of the second pipe to the plurality of heat receivers, comprising:
 a main body including a side wall part, an upper face part and a bottom face part; 
 an upstream pipe provided on the upper face part in a manner communicating with an inside of the main body; 
 a downstream pipe provided in a state partially inserted inside the main body via an under face hole part provided in the bottom face part, wherein an upper end of the downstream pipe facing the upstream pipe is closed with a refrigerant direction changer and a refrigerant inflow port is provided on a side face of the downstream pipe below the upper end; and 
 a tributary pipe provided on the side wall part or the bottom face part in a manner communicating with an inside of the main body. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The cooling apparatus according to  claim 7 , further comprising at least one additional refrigerant distribution device, wherein the refrigerant distribution device and the at least one additional refrigerant distribution device constitute a plurality of refrigerant distribution devices, and wherein the plurality of refrigerant distribution devices are connected in series in a vertical direction, and each of the plurality of the refrigerant distribution devices supplies the refrigerant supplied from the upstream pipe to the heat receiver connected via the tributary pipe and the lower refrigerant distribution device connected via the downstream pipe.